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Adriano extends his stay until 2017 with 90 mil buy out clause :)
+4
Thats great news! Adriano puts his heart out no matter where they play him.
+1
I just hope he isn;t gonna be playing at CB...EVER AGAIN
+2
I like Adriano when his head is in the game. He is so versatile and can score long-range goals unlike Jordi and Dani (oh I miss when he could score).
+1
Dinho wins player of the decade!
+5
lol which dacade is that? A little too late if it is the 2000
He had his heydays right in the middle of 2000-2010. So I'm not sure why you would call it late Lucas. He was the King back then, Messi is the King now, and, well, the King of all-time.
edit: I just realize you mean the poll for the player of the 2000-2010 decade is late. Yeah, it is :P
edit: I just realize you mean the poll for the player of the 2000-2010 decade is late. Yeah, it is :P
+1
Love this bit about Atletico Madrid in Sid Lowe's article:
Atlético were El Pupas, the jinxed one, that famous advert showing a father lost for words when his son asks him: "papá, why do we support Atlético?" There was even a supporters club called The Suffering and their centenary hymn, from gravelly-voiced folk singer Joaquín Sabina, lauded: "What a way to suffer! What a way to lose!" When their centenary came around, a problem over the rights meant that they could not play it at the Calderón. So they chose the Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get what you want instead.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/18/atletico-madrid-real-copa-del-rey
There is something so romantic about supporting a club that's destined to be second-best, always. Well, almost always ;-)
Atlético were El Pupas, the jinxed one, that famous advert showing a father lost for words when his son asks him: "papá, why do we support Atlético?" There was even a supporters club called The Suffering and their centenary hymn, from gravelly-voiced folk singer Joaquín Sabina, lauded: "What a way to suffer! What a way to lose!" When their centenary came around, a problem over the rights meant that they could not play it at the Calderón. So they chose the Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get what you want instead.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/18/atletico-madrid-real-copa-del-rey
There is something so romantic about supporting a club that's destined to be second-best, always. Well, almost always ;-)
+1
Also: "In 18 months, Diego Simeone has won as much as José Mourinho in three years." When will Simeone be in the running for the Manager of the Year award?
To answer your last question: he will when he moves to England, where every player is world class when they score a goal and every manager the best in the world if they win a trophy ;)
+1
I heard we will be without Abidal this summer (official)
:O
Is it true?
:O
Is it true?
Cite a source and yee shall have thyne answer.
+1
He has been considering moving, but I don't think anything has been decided yet.
It seems to be true.In a press meet next week Barca and Abi will explain that.Marca reports
http://www.marca.com/2013/05/22/en/football/barcelona/1369237761.html
http://www.marca.com/2013/05/22/en/football/barcelona/1369237761.html
Instead of speculating on transfers, how about we all speculate a bit on tactics, what players should be part of our A-team next year and how they ought to play to optimize the squad?
1) THE DEFENCE:
There can no longer be room for two central midfielders in the heart of defence. That is the first step we must take towards becoming a stable team again. Mascherano has made costly mistakes every single game when he wasn't partnered with Puyol, Busi is just horrible as a central defender, Song is a hard-working creative midfielder, not a defender, and Piqué himself is insecure unless the Captain is standing next to him.
This all implies either Masch or Song will probably have to leave the club. I have a preference to let Masch go, because Song has been good in nearly every game as a DM for us, and because he's much younger. But to be honest, I do not know how important Masch is in the dressing room or for the team's determined attitude.
2) THE MYSTERY THAT IS FÀBREGAS:
Secondly, I want Cesc in midfield, not in the striker or wing position because he is clearly not a striker. He's been overloaded with criticism for his inconsistent displays, but how can you blame a guy who's a natural central midfield playmaker when he has to play in a completely different position all the time?
This is Cesc at his best at Arsenal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6AF1cxOQOA
How we do not use him in the CM position if Xavi does not play, I do not know.
3) THE OLD GUARD:
I can be brief here. Puyol, Xavi, Abi and Iniesta will be our oldest and most experienced players next season. I hope Abi does not leave, because his mere presence can be a beacon for every player when times are hard. The fact a man like him is still standing there in top football after all he's been through is so inspirational that that fact alone makes Abi worth keeping. I also think his experience, determination, bravery and sheer quality are still traits we badly need. What should happen to Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta is all clear: if they are fit, they have to play every (important) game. They are all so good that they lift the team to its highest level, and along with Messi they are the core.
3) THE GOOD:
Alexis and Pedro cannot be sold. Both have endured criticism this season, and especially Alexis' criticism was over the top most of the time. Pedro proved he can be awesome if the team would play in a slightly different manner (look at his Spain games) but he's not the type to complain when he has to adapt to another strategy to suit the team. Alexis may have missed goals most of us would score with our eyes closed (well, not really), but not considering those, he was very good. The fact he clearly lacked confidence most of the season and didn't do what he is best at (taking on defenders directly) to create chances, paired with the fact he has been excellent in recent games where he did look confident, makes me think he can still be one of our best players in the near future.
4) THE BAD:
Players who do not show the eagerness and determination they ought to in pre-season, should be sold, regardless of who they are. Dani Alves has been the best right-back in the world for about 5 years, but this season he has been well below par. His passing and crossing especially went from very good to wayward, and he no longer tracks back efficiently to cover for his constant loss of possession.
Piqué looks lost like a newbie in defence at times, often out of position though his positional game once was one of his main assets. He needs a capable defender next to him to play well. I believe that if he has a player like Puyol or Ramos next to him, he is one of the very best defenders in the world. If he does not, he is uncertain and lost, and very prone to positional mistakes.
Then there is Sergio Busquets, who I think is our 4th best player, but at the same time I don't agree he's as perfect as many make him out to be. He has been sloppy too much this season, sometimes giving the ball away in very dangerous areas where he could've played a simple pass or even just booted it out of the way when he was likely to lose it.
And finally there is Jordi Alba, who made a number of mistakes too, but since he is new and not a natural left-back, I hardly blame him. Everyone knows it is suicide to play two attacking full-backs (like Alba and Alves) at the same time against teams good on the counter, and yet we did it too often. This is why I think Montoya should get more chances. He has been brilliant for us every game he played, and apart from his last game, I don't think I've ever seen him make a costly mistake. Jordi Alba has contributed much more to our attacks than Alves this season too, and he is also showing a lot more effort in defence. His energetic runs forward are often game-changers for us if we cannot break the opposition down the usual way.
David Villa is a Spain legend, but he no longer is the player he used to be, not by a mile. I think it would be best we sell him. His (tiny) fights with Messi are something we can miss as well.
5) THE UGLY:
I'd like to say something about Real Madrid for comical relief, but I'll just focus on our ugly side. There can be no true football fan in the world who likes us complaining to the referee, even showing hand-gestures of cards when we are fouled. A few of our players are guilty of that, and it always makes me angry a player of our club would do that. It must be hard to play many games where you're constantly fouled and the ref waves 'play on' all the time, but these things tend to happen to all clubs with technically gifted players. Especially when we're winning I think trying to influence the ref should be out of the question.
---------------------------------------
So in conclusion, I think a few players should get a kick in the back so they start playing with their heart again (Alves, Piqué, Busi, Cesc) every game, but I also think most of them have been playing poorly because they were played out of position or because they didn't have the back-up they needed. Having faith in your partners in defence is essential as a defender, it is essential as a midfielder too because you can focus more on your attacking positioning then. And we clearly lacked that the second half of the season without Puyol. It should be our club's first task to get an inspirational central defender of the highest quality that will fit in as soon as possible, and then I think all players will start playing better again.
Victor Valdés is a world class goalkeeper, but it is clear he's leaving so we need a replacement. A top notch goalkeeper for Barcelona these days would have to ooze confidence, be able to comfortable deal with high balls (our most vulnerable spot), to be able to make saves from point-blank range, to be great in 1v1s and to be a good footballer who can play as the 'last man distributor' as well. High demands, because there are scarcely few goalkeepers like that, but I am (sort of) confident club will find the right man.
My line-up for the next season would be:
---------------------New goalkeeper----------------------
---Montoya------Piqué----New defender-----Alba---
-------------------------Busi/Song--------------------------
---------------Xavi/Cesc-------------------------------------
--------------------------------Iniesta/Thiago--------------
---Alexis-------------------------Tello/Pedro/Neymar?-
--------------------------Messi--------------------------------
1) THE DEFENCE:
There can no longer be room for two central midfielders in the heart of defence. That is the first step we must take towards becoming a stable team again. Mascherano has made costly mistakes every single game when he wasn't partnered with Puyol, Busi is just horrible as a central defender, Song is a hard-working creative midfielder, not a defender, and Piqué himself is insecure unless the Captain is standing next to him.
This all implies either Masch or Song will probably have to leave the club. I have a preference to let Masch go, because Song has been good in nearly every game as a DM for us, and because he's much younger. But to be honest, I do not know how important Masch is in the dressing room or for the team's determined attitude.
2) THE MYSTERY THAT IS FÀBREGAS:
Secondly, I want Cesc in midfield, not in the striker or wing position because he is clearly not a striker. He's been overloaded with criticism for his inconsistent displays, but how can you blame a guy who's a natural central midfield playmaker when he has to play in a completely different position all the time?
This is Cesc at his best at Arsenal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6AF1cxOQOA
How we do not use him in the CM position if Xavi does not play, I do not know.
3) THE OLD GUARD:
I can be brief here. Puyol, Xavi, Abi and Iniesta will be our oldest and most experienced players next season. I hope Abi does not leave, because his mere presence can be a beacon for every player when times are hard. The fact a man like him is still standing there in top football after all he's been through is so inspirational that that fact alone makes Abi worth keeping. I also think his experience, determination, bravery and sheer quality are still traits we badly need. What should happen to Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta is all clear: if they are fit, they have to play every (important) game. They are all so good that they lift the team to its highest level, and along with Messi they are the core.
3) THE GOOD:
Alexis and Pedro cannot be sold. Both have endured criticism this season, and especially Alexis' criticism was over the top most of the time. Pedro proved he can be awesome if the team would play in a slightly different manner (look at his Spain games) but he's not the type to complain when he has to adapt to another strategy to suit the team. Alexis may have missed goals most of us would score with our eyes closed (well, not really), but not considering those, he was very good. The fact he clearly lacked confidence most of the season and didn't do what he is best at (taking on defenders directly) to create chances, paired with the fact he has been excellent in recent games where he did look confident, makes me think he can still be one of our best players in the near future.
4) THE BAD:
Players who do not show the eagerness and determination they ought to in pre-season, should be sold, regardless of who they are. Dani Alves has been the best right-back in the world for about 5 years, but this season he has been well below par. His passing and crossing especially went from very good to wayward, and he no longer tracks back efficiently to cover for his constant loss of possession.
Piqué looks lost like a newbie in defence at times, often out of position though his positional game once was one of his main assets. He needs a capable defender next to him to play well. I believe that if he has a player like Puyol or Ramos next to him, he is one of the very best defenders in the world. If he does not, he is uncertain and lost, and very prone to positional mistakes.
Then there is Sergio Busquets, who I think is our 4th best player, but at the same time I don't agree he's as perfect as many make him out to be. He has been sloppy too much this season, sometimes giving the ball away in very dangerous areas where he could've played a simple pass or even just booted it out of the way when he was likely to lose it.
And finally there is Jordi Alba, who made a number of mistakes too, but since he is new and not a natural left-back, I hardly blame him. Everyone knows it is suicide to play two attacking full-backs (like Alba and Alves) at the same time against teams good on the counter, and yet we did it too often. This is why I think Montoya should get more chances. He has been brilliant for us every game he played, and apart from his last game, I don't think I've ever seen him make a costly mistake. Jordi Alba has contributed much more to our attacks than Alves this season too, and he is also showing a lot more effort in defence. His energetic runs forward are often game-changers for us if we cannot break the opposition down the usual way.
David Villa is a Spain legend, but he no longer is the player he used to be, not by a mile. I think it would be best we sell him. His (tiny) fights with Messi are something we can miss as well.
5) THE UGLY:
I'd like to say something about Real Madrid for comical relief, but I'll just focus on our ugly side. There can be no true football fan in the world who likes us complaining to the referee, even showing hand-gestures of cards when we are fouled. A few of our players are guilty of that, and it always makes me angry a player of our club would do that. It must be hard to play many games where you're constantly fouled and the ref waves 'play on' all the time, but these things tend to happen to all clubs with technically gifted players. Especially when we're winning I think trying to influence the ref should be out of the question.
---------------------------------------
So in conclusion, I think a few players should get a kick in the back so they start playing with their heart again (Alves, Piqué, Busi, Cesc) every game, but I also think most of them have been playing poorly because they were played out of position or because they didn't have the back-up they needed. Having faith in your partners in defence is essential as a defender, it is essential as a midfielder too because you can focus more on your attacking positioning then. And we clearly lacked that the second half of the season without Puyol. It should be our club's first task to get an inspirational central defender of the highest quality that will fit in as soon as possible, and then I think all players will start playing better again.
Victor Valdés is a world class goalkeeper, but it is clear he's leaving so we need a replacement. A top notch goalkeeper for Barcelona these days would have to ooze confidence, be able to comfortable deal with high balls (our most vulnerable spot), to be able to make saves from point-blank range, to be great in 1v1s and to be a good footballer who can play as the 'last man distributor' as well. High demands, because there are scarcely few goalkeepers like that, but I am (sort of) confident club will find the right man.
My line-up for the next season would be:
---------------------New goalkeeper----------------------
---Montoya------Piqué----New defender-----Alba---
-------------------------Busi/Song--------------------------
---------------Xavi/Cesc-------------------------------------
--------------------------------Iniesta/Thiago--------------
---Alexis-------------------------Tello/Pedro/Neymar?-
--------------------------Messi--------------------------------
+6
I agree with you Jeroen. I personally think it's the time to play some direct football mixed with tiki-taka. Especially, when we are playing against teams who are solid in defence. In other words, we should have a plan "B" instead of passing throughout the whole game. Our wingers should push themselves more in the centre rather than staying up right/left near the corners. We need to take more shots, specially Pedro, Sanchez, Iniesta and Xavi. We need to practice on how to defend/score in set pieces and corners. I also think we should give Song the Xavi role against underdogs sometimes. He can be really creative when playing him in midfield instead of CB or CDM. Playing him there will help our defence too. It's finally the time to give Montoya a chance and Alves a competition. The better one plays more as simple as that. Btw, I like your line-up for next season Jeroen :)
Am i the only one who thinks we need 2 defenders? It is very clear where our problems lie : Set pieces. Even if we get a world class central defender , it wont fix all our problems in defense. We will still be vulnerable in set pieces with Alba and Montoya who are 5'7 . And then there is Pique who doesn't use his height that much either.
No I believe we need a good fullback as well. Someone in the mold of Zabaleta, Lichsteiner or Ivanovic.
+1
@I3lindSpot
Actually, the only thing Barca needs to do for a Plan B is to speed up the passing and run around the field more. At the moment teams can keep up with tika taka because it isn't quick enough. So, a simple solution is to take your time as usual initially, and do a speed up all of a sudden. You guys pass your opponents to death as it is, imagine a speed boost. The game would practically end by half time without you guys needing to play direct football.
Actually, the only thing Barca needs to do for a Plan B is to speed up the passing and run around the field more. At the moment teams can keep up with tika taka because it isn't quick enough. So, a simple solution is to take your time as usual initially, and do a speed up all of a sudden. You guys pass your opponents to death as it is, imagine a speed boost. The game would practically end by half time without you guys needing to play direct football.
+2
I agree with mostly everything said. I think that Thiago is a better fit to rotate with Xavi while Cesc and Iniesta can rotate with each other. I agree that Masch or Song will be on there way out, I would've liked to see Song play a CM role at least once this season though.
In addition to the defence bit: Our best matches this season were the ones which we were motivated and we decided to press opponents. The most important part of Guardiola's defence was pressing. Winning the ball closer to the opponents goal and saving the trouble and energy of tracking back really helped us out in the past and we simply didn't see enough of that.
In addition to the defence bit: Our best matches this season were the ones which we were motivated and we decided to press opponents. The most important part of Guardiola's defence was pressing. Winning the ball closer to the opponents goal and saving the trouble and energy of tracking back really helped us out in the past and we simply didn't see enough of that.
@7anzalla: Alves, Alba, Adriano, Abidal, Montoya. We don't need full backs it's embarrassing how many good full backs we have.
+1
Incidentally every time I play football manager, Casillas joins Barcelona within 2-3 years tops. Given that Football Manager predicts some other transfers well (Cazorla to Arsenal, which is surprisingly good for a mechanical software; Hazard to Chelsea or Man City; etc.) is this a portent? :-))))
I've been playing FM for a decade MWY, and I don't think I've ever seen Casillas move to Barça yet. Barcelona always buy crappy youth players though, and after about 5 seasons they start to suck. FM isn't realistic when you exceed 3-4 seasons, and to be frank, it isn't realistic at all since the players hardly ever change. A good 24-year old will be a good 25-year old and so on until he's about 32. That kind of consistency is very rare and only appears in great players, who are simply a class above the rest and even when they have an off-day they still can play rather well. They should make the variables 'consistency' and 'influence' of players much more prominent.
Ah I think I see where the confusion comes from. I meant Fifa manager. It sucks, I know, but I play it for the immersion. Also: predicts transfers better apparently! :P
Oh thank goodness, a proper post!! I've been waiting patiently for weeks for something of quality! Jeroen you have renewed my hope in footytube :)
I agree with pretty much everything you posted and would just like to add a few ideas to our tactics/formation:
I think that Messi's false 9 role is becoming too predictable for teams that are well-organized defensively, especially those who sit very deep in defense. If Messi isn't finding space, he naturally drops deeper and deeper which limits his effectiveness as a goal-scorer. I think it's time we start mixing it up more often by playing him as right attacker or as an attacking midfielder.
He played right attacker against Milan in the second leg and even though he still had limited space, if he stays more out wide he will have more 1v1 situations which are ideal for him. And I agree that Villa's time has passed, in which case I propose having Sanchez play as striker to open up space for Messi whenever he does play right attack.
If we do acquire Neymar, Iniesta will be able to play in the center more, which is good. It's hard to anticipate if Neymar will have difficulty adapting like Sanchez has or if he will just run wild like Tello does at times.
In terms of our defense, I'm excited! Getting a new centerback and goalkeeper, if they are high-quality transfers, will be so nice! As grateful as I am for Mascherano and Valdes' contributions over the years, there is certainly room for improvement in both of those positions and there have been several cheap goals conceded by both.
Moving on to more general tactics, I think our encounter with Bayern was an eye-opener. We used to play defense as a whole unit, pressing like mad and not giving the opposition time to think about passing, let a lone passing. Now we are far too complacent and other teams have stepped up their organization and team-defending. If we want to continue to be competitive in the Champion's League, we will have to be more disciplined in all positions, not just our backline.
I agree with pretty much everything you posted and would just like to add a few ideas to our tactics/formation:
I think that Messi's false 9 role is becoming too predictable for teams that are well-organized defensively, especially those who sit very deep in defense. If Messi isn't finding space, he naturally drops deeper and deeper which limits his effectiveness as a goal-scorer. I think it's time we start mixing it up more often by playing him as right attacker or as an attacking midfielder.
He played right attacker against Milan in the second leg and even though he still had limited space, if he stays more out wide he will have more 1v1 situations which are ideal for him. And I agree that Villa's time has passed, in which case I propose having Sanchez play as striker to open up space for Messi whenever he does play right attack.
If we do acquire Neymar, Iniesta will be able to play in the center more, which is good. It's hard to anticipate if Neymar will have difficulty adapting like Sanchez has or if he will just run wild like Tello does at times.
In terms of our defense, I'm excited! Getting a new centerback and goalkeeper, if they are high-quality transfers, will be so nice! As grateful as I am for Mascherano and Valdes' contributions over the years, there is certainly room for improvement in both of those positions and there have been several cheap goals conceded by both.
Moving on to more general tactics, I think our encounter with Bayern was an eye-opener. We used to play defense as a whole unit, pressing like mad and not giving the opposition time to think about passing, let a lone passing. Now we are far too complacent and other teams have stepped up their organization and team-defending. If we want to continue to be competitive in the Champion's League, we will have to be more disciplined in all positions, not just our backline.
+1
Thanks for the compliment Alf, I'm glad many people have responded so far.
About Messi's false 9: you're probably right that it isn't smart of us to always play him that way. I too would like to see a bit more variation so we can surprise the opposition. Messi on the right as an inside forward again like he used to be would lure defenders towards him and give our other players much more space in the centre and on the left. And if Messi has a good day, there is no stopping him so he'll still find a way past all defenders trying to stop him from the wing.
Neymar could become a real hit here I think. I have seen enough from him to know he is the real deal. For almost three years he has been scoring goals and creating many chances for his teammates in all sorts of ways: by dribbling with the ball and assisting or by playing a brilliant pass. He's even better when the opposition is good too, because I think his best games were his games for Brazil, where he constantly is the best player on the pitch. And like you said: Andrés will be able to play down the middle again like in the good old days, which would also be good for variation. Even better would be the fact Neymar could play as the central attacker too, so we're not too reliant on Messi there. Bringing him in would certainly open a wide range of possibilities up front.
Our defender must be a very good one, I think the club realizes that too. Not only a player with outstanding defensive qualities, but also one to lead the back line and inspire confidence in the whole team. And we all know all players at Barça have to have some technical ability when it comes to distributing the ball. It seems like our board want a fast defender too, so Thiago Silva or Vincent Kompany would be the only options I think.
About the Bayern game: I think a lot of factors played a part. I actually predicted a 3-0 loss in the first leg though I was ridiculed for it, because for months there was a clear sign of fatigue and jadedness, though I also blame lack of motivation and underestimating the opponent. Fatigue shouldn't have played a part, because most players had plenty of days of rest. Winning all trophies there are multiple times over is probably the cause of some of our poor games. It's up to Tito to sell the players he no longer can motivate and attract exciting new young ones to lift the spirits.
About Messi's false 9: you're probably right that it isn't smart of us to always play him that way. I too would like to see a bit more variation so we can surprise the opposition. Messi on the right as an inside forward again like he used to be would lure defenders towards him and give our other players much more space in the centre and on the left. And if Messi has a good day, there is no stopping him so he'll still find a way past all defenders trying to stop him from the wing.
Neymar could become a real hit here I think. I have seen enough from him to know he is the real deal. For almost three years he has been scoring goals and creating many chances for his teammates in all sorts of ways: by dribbling with the ball and assisting or by playing a brilliant pass. He's even better when the opposition is good too, because I think his best games were his games for Brazil, where he constantly is the best player on the pitch. And like you said: Andrés will be able to play down the middle again like in the good old days, which would also be good for variation. Even better would be the fact Neymar could play as the central attacker too, so we're not too reliant on Messi there. Bringing him in would certainly open a wide range of possibilities up front.
Our defender must be a very good one, I think the club realizes that too. Not only a player with outstanding defensive qualities, but also one to lead the back line and inspire confidence in the whole team. And we all know all players at Barça have to have some technical ability when it comes to distributing the ball. It seems like our board want a fast defender too, so Thiago Silva or Vincent Kompany would be the only options I think.
About the Bayern game: I think a lot of factors played a part. I actually predicted a 3-0 loss in the first leg though I was ridiculed for it, because for months there was a clear sign of fatigue and jadedness, though I also blame lack of motivation and underestimating the opponent. Fatigue shouldn't have played a part, because most players had plenty of days of rest. Winning all trophies there are multiple times over is probably the cause of some of our poor games. It's up to Tito to sell the players he no longer can motivate and attract exciting new young ones to lift the spirits.
I believe Neymar is the real deal too, I'm just worried about how he will cope with teams that park the bus. Sanchez was excellent in a counter-attacking style in Italy but with tiki-taka it has taken some time to adjust. I wonder if Neymar will have the same difficulty. Have you seen him play for Brazil or Santos against deep-defending teams?
I agree it is up to Tito to sell the players that are no longer motivated or performing as well as give the youngsters the playing time/experience they need and deserve. I'm hopeful that next season his health will be better and he will be able to give the team more consistent attention. It worries me that Jordi Roura is our assistant because he will probably have to take over for several month periods again next year and under him we lost so many matches :S
I agree it is up to Tito to sell the players that are no longer motivated or performing as well as give the youngsters the playing time/experience they need and deserve. I'm hopeful that next season his health will be better and he will be able to give the team more consistent attention. It worries me that Jordi Roura is our assistant because he will probably have to take over for several month periods again next year and under him we lost so many matches :S
Interesting discussion about Neymar guys. I think if he comes I would want him not to adapt too much to the Barca style. It was Alexis' downfall, and the fact that people see Tello as a sort of Plan B and have not asked him to play the Pedro/Bojan role is why Tello is doing well. How we use Tello is a good blueprint for using Neymar.
I agree. I feel Neymar would do well here. Hopefully he and Alba could build a relationship like what we saw from Messi and Alves and dominate the left flank.
I also agree that we bought Alexis because of his ability to dribble at defends but that has definitely been lost while he has been trying to adapt to our game but I also feel like Jeroen pointed out before, that when he is confident he can be an extremely good player.
I do see what you guys talk about when you say that he shouldn't mould to our system so much. I think the Barca system is something which can make him become a truly great player but of course he must be able to keep his individuality in the process which I am confident he will do.
I also agree that we bought Alexis because of his ability to dribble at defends but that has definitely been lost while he has been trying to adapt to our game but I also feel like Jeroen pointed out before, that when he is confident he can be an extremely good player.
I do see what you guys talk about when you say that he shouldn't mould to our system so much. I think the Barca system is something which can make him become a truly great player but of course he must be able to keep his individuality in the process which I am confident he will do.
FC Barcelona anthem played with beer bottles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6VWnknaD4&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6VWnknaD4&feature=player_embedded
+8
Wow, that was far better than I expected, thanks for sharing that mate! That guy is a proper fan and musician :)
+1
So it seems like Ancelotti will become Real's next manager. Fantastic choice, the man is a great coach and an admirable person too. I look forward to our next clásicos if he'll be at their helm.
Good point Jeroen, let's go back to enjoying great classicos without the shenanigans of Mr Not-so-special. A classy manager like Ancelloti will go a long way in restoring the prestige of Los Blancos.
evil king is thrown out from the kingdom,period of barbaric ages has been over,so lets hope for an el classico with pride and honour next year..
+1
according to marca, thiago is unsettled and utd have tabled a bid...more bs or is there any reason to believe this?
He's recognised by pretty much everyone influential involved as our biggest talent, plays more than any other talent (except maybe Tello this season) and links up with the team very well.
What do you think? :)
What do you think? :)
^Maybe I'm being harsh on Thiago, but Busquets at his age had already won almost every title in sight and was the heart beat of the Barca team :P
The bid is 18 million.Barca last season rejected a bid from united for thiago in the reign of 25-39 million.If barca allow thiago to leave then it will be the most foolish decisions they took recently.There is also speculations that barca may consider his selling for the #11 shirt.
+1
not as crazy as you think jeroen, he had 10 fewer appearances this season compared with last season because of the arrival of cesc fabregas, and it's not as if you guys are short on midfielders.
he's 22 and would be playing more regularly if he decided to leave. there are rumors that he has a buyout clause in his contract if he doesn't meet some kind of appearances quota.
besides i think barca will buy neymar this summer, which means they may need to make a few sales in order to afford him and the other places they want to fortify like defense.
i was just wondering if there was other news in spain to make this one seem more credible.
he's 22 and would be playing more regularly if he decided to leave. there are rumors that he has a buyout clause in his contract if he doesn't meet some kind of appearances quota.
besides i think barca will buy neymar this summer, which means they may need to make a few sales in order to afford him and the other places they want to fortify like defense.
i was just wondering if there was other news in spain to make this one seem more credible.
It has to be mentioned that his buyout clause is 90m which will come down to 20m if he didnt play a specific number of games. Apparently, he hasn't played that number of games this season. So, if united activate that clause and Thiago says he wants to leave, he is a goner
Wow, I did not know that. My summer would be absolutely ruined if Thiago or Cesc left Barça to be honest. First Götze, probably Lewandowski too, then perhaps two of Barça's best midfielders?
Thiago is my favourite youngster at Barça, and IMHO the most talented young midfielder in Spain, which says a lot since Spain has ample of great midfielders. If he would leave for just €20m... Disaster. I hope Tito has a good talk with him and convinces him that would be a very bad move since we need him for most games in the next decade.
Thiago is my favourite youngster at Barça, and IMHO the most talented young midfielder in Spain, which says a lot since Spain has ample of great midfielders. If he would leave for just €20m... Disaster. I hope Tito has a good talk with him and convinces him that would be a very bad move since we need him for most games in the next decade.
I don't understand why he'd want to leave. He's really young and the biggest young talent we have. Pep said at his age Xavi and Iniesta were not as good as him.. With the way he's progressing lately I can't see him leaving.
That's correct Thiago's future is in doubt because Tito did not play him enough this year and his buyout clause has dropped dangerously low. Given that any club which has 20-odd million would be willing to pay for a guy like Thiago, the decision to go or stay is now entirely up to him. Thiago is Xavi's heir-apparent. We NEED to keep him. Let's see what Rosell and Tito can do to hold on to him.
+2
Sheesj, losing Thiago would be like a Cesc-nightmare all over again, but worse because Thiago is better now than Cesc was when he left to Arsenal. Can't believe our staff and board didn't pick up on that €20m clause that can now be activated. Besides, he played 25 games in La Liga ALONE, how is that not enough?
+2
I dont think thiago will go.If yo see the official photo of barca's next season team kit along with puyol,xavi,iniesta,messi and pique there is thiago.That means barca values thiago more.Also Tito may have convinced him next season he will get more playing time.He is the best possible replacement for xavi
The number is not released, but I believe it was 40 full games. As in, 40*90=3600 minutes - or well, at least something along those lines. He has played many games as a sub, and that's been the problem. If you remember his dad was making noises about moving on last year as well, since he wanted Thiago to be a proper first team player. It is a reasonable stance from his point of view, given how talented he is. The spectre of Bojan also hangs above many of our youth.
Well Bojan never was talented enough to step up from the youth level (in which he was already miles above the rest at age 16 but sort of remained at that level), Thiago has proven to be exceptional even in La Liga. Most of his games are average to good, some of his games are stellar. That's the mark of a true great, and I would hate losing him.
Bayern or Dortmund?
Rooting for Dortmund, but recent history has shown that the team that defeats Barca goes on to win the Champions League.
+2
Want Dotmund to win it.If so Klop will surely the best manager of the season
But Bayern is in super natural form
But Bayern is in super natural form
+2
I want Dormund to win not because Bayern kicked our ass but because they are the biggest team in Germany and they buy all the biggest talents in a heartbeat. I want Klopp to prove everyone wrong and for Mario Gotze to cry because he left Klopp's project like it had no meaning.
+4
I want Dortmund to win too. Taking Gotze was such a low blow that it's impossible to support Bayern after that.
+2
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